Primal – “A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”

I am someone who loves to read.  Recently I was given a new book by Pastor of National Community Church and Author of In a it With A Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson, called Primal, “A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”.

In reading this book over the last several weeks, I have found myself challenged to go back to the very foundations of faith in Christ and to the very heart of what it means to be a Christ follower.  In Mark 12:30, Jesus was asked to share what He thought the greatest commandment was out all of them.  His response was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  This is the heart of what it means to follow Christ.

In Primal, Mark breaks down what it means to live for Christ on a Primal level of faith by examining how we can truly love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  His use of illustrations from various fields such as medicine, phsycology, science, nature, sports, church, and family have challenged and inspired me.  Mark has a gift for making scripture come alive through his illustrations and engaging style. 

 Allow me take a brief exerpt from th begining of the book that challenged me and sums up why I believe this book is a must read:

“Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity.  Their faith is only mind deep.  They know what they believe, but they don’t know why they believe what they believe.  Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectully or experientially.  Near-side Christians have never been in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, so when they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith.  For Far-side Christians, those who have done their time in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, unanswerable questions and unexplainable experiences actually result in a heightened appreciation for the mystery and majesty of a God who does not fit within the logical constraints of the left brain.  Near-side Christians, on the other hand, lose their faith before they’ve really found it.”   (pg. 5)

My life has been and is being impacted by this book as God continues to take me back to what it means to follow Christ at a Primal level.  I would encourage everyone to make this book the first book you read in 2010.

For more information about Primal – “A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity” please go to RandomHouse.com.

Digesting the Word of God

I have been reading through the Bible using a reading plan with the goal of reading through the Bible in a year.  I have read through the Bible before using other plans but I must say that this time I am getting so much out it.  The Bible is filled with such wisdom for everyday life.  No matter how many times I have read through it or how familiar a passage seems to be, there always seems to be something that stirs my heart or speaks to me in a fresh way.

I want to challenge everyone who reads these posts to make a priority out of reading the Bible regularly.  Whether it is reading it using a plan to get through it a year or moving a little slower through the passages, it is important to simply do it on a regular basis. 

When Jesus was being tempted in Matthew 4, He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 which says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).  If we need bread to sustain physical life daily, how much more do we need the Word of God to sustain Spiritual life daily.

Don’t Judge

Christian author Max Lucado says, “We aren’t good enough to judge. Can the hungry accuse the beggar? Can the sick mock the ill? Can the blind judge the deaf?” In the same way, can the sinner condemn the sinner? Absolutely not! He goes on to say, “Be careful! The Peter who denies Jesus at tonight’s fire may proclaim him with fire at tomorrow’s Pentacost. The Samson who is blind and weak today may use his final strength to level the pillars of godlessness. A stuttering shepherd in this generation may be the mighty Moses of the next. Don’t call Noah a fool, you may be asking him for a lift.”

Permissible vs. Beneficial

Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC shared this awesome blog post.  I just have to pass it on because I found it to be full of truth!

“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.”

Your future is found in I Corinthians 10:23. It reveals two options: permissible or beneficial. And your destiny will be determined by which option you choose.

Who we become is determined by whether we settle for what is permissible or strive for what is beneficial. It’s so tempting to live down to what is required. It’s so tempting to live in our comfort zone. It’s so tempting to take the path of least resistance, but the path of least resistance never takes you where you really want to go!

What am I getting at? Well, are you setting for what is permissible? Or are you striving for what is beneficial? Are you giving God leftovers? Or are you seeking first the kingdom of God? Where are you compromising? Where have you become comfortable with what is permissible?

Don’t let short-term comfort short-circuit God’s long-terms plans for your life. Spiritual short-cuts always turn into detours! Take the hard way. Take the high road. Strive for what is beneficial.

You can check out Mark’s Blog at this link… http://evotional.com/2009/11/permissible-vs-beneficial.html

Reminders and Encouraging Link

Today I just want give a quick reminder and encouraging link. 

The Reminders: 

TIME CHANGE: This Sunday morning (Saturday Night), it is time to change our clocks back an hour.  Unless you want to be an hour early for church (which is not a bad thing), I suggest you turn them back before bed.

LIFE GROUPS: Don’t forget that this Sunday Evening at 6 PM is Life Groups!  Make every effort to attend your group where you will find encouragement, fellowship, Biblically focused discussion, and prayer.  It’s worth the time.

The Link: Read a great devotional today by Rick Warren entitled, “Don’t Give Temptation Power.”  Thought I would share the link and hope it provides encouragement to your day! 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Before Your In The Lion’s Den

I am really enjoying reading through the book of Daniel again.  Daniel is a remarkable man of God who gives us some great examples to follow.  As I was re-reading Daniel 6, the popular story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den, I was struck by something.  The men who were jealous of Daniel and his favor with King Darius could not find any fault in regards to his work ethic or character, so they devised a plan to trip him up in regards to the disciplines of his faith.

Daniel 6:5 says, Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

And what did they choose?  Prayer!  They knew that Daniel was a man of prayer.  They knew how faithful Daniel was to prayer!  In fact, after the decree went out concerning the fact that no one could pray for a month unless it was to King Darius, Daniel’s response was to pray! 

Daniel 6:10 says,  ”Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.“

Daniel was then cast into the lion’s den as punishment for his stand for what he belived.  We know the story.  God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions and protected Daniel.  But let us not miss the truth of this chapter.  Daniel didn’t wait to begin his prayer life until he was in the den of lions.  He established a regular pattern for prayer long before the possiblity of being in the lion’s den was ever thought up. 

The key to making it through the lion’s dens of life without a scratch as Daniel did is to not wait until your in the den or till you hear about the den to begin the discipline of prayer.  Start today so that it is simply your natural response when trials come rather then your panicked reaction.

Today’s Key Thought:  

Learn a lesson from Daniel…The Time to Pray is before you are in the lion’s den.  If you wait until you are in it, it may be too late!

See you at the Prayer Meeting tonight at 7 PM. I am believing God for miracles!

The Value of a Good Name

 “A good name is better than precious oil;”  – Ecclesiastes 7:1

 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…”  - Proverbs 22:1

The wisdom literature of the Bible places high value on keeping a good name or good reputation.  Nowhere is that more evidently seen than in life of Daniel.

In my devotion time today, I was reading Daniel 5.  It is the story of what is commonly called the writing on the wall.  King Belshazzar had a party and called for the gold and silver cups that His predecessor had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and used them for the drinking of wine and worshipping of idols.  All of sudden, a hand appears and writes a message on the wall.

Belshazzar is so shaken by this that he calls all of his enchanters, astrologers, and magicians to come and interpret and no one could interpret the message.  Then, the Queen (some translations say the Queen Mother) came said…

“The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “O king, live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale!  There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king, I say—appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.  This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”  (Daniel 5:10-12)

Daniel’s good name and reputation preceded him and opened up a door for him to have an impact with this new king.  Even though he had been high up in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, he apparently had lost his influence when the king died.  The kings son did not truly know Daniel.  It was by the reputation and good name that he had kept in the prior administration, that led to his influence not only with this king’s short reign, but in the kingdom that would follow.

As a result of King Belshazzar’s rebellion and profaning of the Holy articles from the Temple, he was struck dead and his kingdom divided.  King Darius of Persia took over in Daniel 6, listen to what is said of Daniel…

 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Daniel 6:1-4

What I want to point out is that reputation and a good name not only got Daniel to the position he was in, it also kept him in the position he was in.

A good name and reputation comes from a life of character that is submitted to God.  Daniel’s relationship with God, his unwillingness to compromise, and his obedient life led and kept him in a place of influence through three ungodly administrations.  Likewise, it will be our character and Godly reputation that places us and keeps in a position of favor and influence with both the church and the world.

How is your reputation?  Let us learn from the life of Daniel.

Really Greatful!

I am really greatful to be a part of church that truly models the servant leadership of Jesus.  Last night about 30-35 awesome friends from Painesville A/G came out and gave their time, energy, and gifts to serve one our local elementray schools for their Fall Festival.  The principal of the school, PTO president and other officers, and may families came to me so impressed by the help provided and the positive godly attitude that each one our team displayed.  Our adults, teenages, and even a few children worked together to bless this school.  The quote that came by e-mail this morning was “we couldn’t have done it without your church.” 

A Big “Thank You” to all who served!  You are awesome!  Seed was planted and I look forwared to the harvest that will come as a result!  What a church!

Watchman Fellowship This Sunday!

Hey Everyone!  Just a reminder that Bob Anderson and the Watchman Fellowship will be with us Sunday!  Bob will teach in Sunday School at 9:30 AM (Room B-4), our Sunday Morning Service at 10:30 AM and our Sunday Evening Service at 6 PM.  Come out and be challenged!

God Answers Prayer

I am so excited for our weekly prayer meeting tonight!  God has been answering prayer in a many ways and the testimonies keep coming.  Prayer is important and the more prioity we give to it, the better.  Please keep our upcoming ourtreaches, Melridge Elementary Servant Evangelism, Light Up the Night, and Convoy of Hope in Prayer!  Lives are going to be changed!